


Half A Family

by Honestreader



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Big Bro's Threaten Asshole Dad, Big Brother Danny, Brother-Sister Relationships, Clockwork is a little shit, Dani is in danger constantly, Gen, Meddling Clockwork, Observants ruin everything, Protect The Smol, Protective Dan, Protective Danny, Vlad Redemption, no pp, she's fine though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-27 16:17:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6291385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honestreader/pseuds/Honestreader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clockwork has found the perfect solution for the annoyance in his lair. Of course it involves the help of the three Halfas working together… without killing one another. Maybe the solution isn’t that perfect after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Smash the Ghost

Clockwork watched the potential future with interest. There were many challenges, ways it could go wrong, but it was almost certainly better than allowing the Halfa’s relationship to continue to deteriorate. The youngest of the three stood to gain the most, the oldest would have his life's desire, and the most stable of the three would finally be at peace. The future looked bright and all the master of time had to do was sit back and wait. For now at least.

 

“CLOCKWORK!!!” The time ghost bit back a groan as an Observant floated through the arch of his doorway. It was a particularly annoying one, Clockwork never remembered his name well enough to tell him apart from his usual partner.

 

“Yes, Steve?”

 

“It’s Imperial Master of Communication and Commerce Benjamin!”

 

“Of course Anthony, how could I have forgotten?” Two minutes.

 

The Observant, Alex, huffed angrily. “You’re planning to release the Anomoly! The Council will not stand for it! That creature is far too much of a menace to be allowed to exist anymore.”

 

Clockwork counted down the seconds until the Thermos, which contained the world's greatest threat to humanity chimed in. “I KNOW YOU AREN'T TALKING ABOUT ME YOU USELESS ONE-EYED SACK OF ECTOPLASM!” Said Thermos chimed. Theodore jumped in surprise. Clockwork had grown so used to the Thermos and its inhabitant that it hardly phased him. “I WOULDN’T HELP THAT MANIPULATIVE TIME CREEP IF MY AFTER-LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!!!” The captive ghost didn’t seem to understand that he didn’t need to yell for others to hear him.

 

“Shut up you abomination, this is between me and the master of time.” Robert snapped. 

 

“ABOMINATION?” The Thermos rattled as the Ghost trapped inside fought against the device. One minute.

 

“I am not planning to set him free.” Clockwork grinned. Technically true, but the Observent was still suspicious. The time ghost slowly inched away from the table holding the battered container. “You and the other Observents always think I'm planning something but I hardly ever am. I simply prepare for the most reasonable outcome.”

 

“I swear on the Ancients, Clockwork, if you're trying to rebel against the Council…” Nicholas’s threat fell flat, the future was already being set in motion. 

 

“It's not a rebellion if I'm following your rules. I will not interfere in the next... 25.98 seconds, After that there will be trouble.” Clockwork crossed his arms, glancing at the glowing Thermos. The raging of the Ghost inside caused the metal to twist and stretch under his power.

 

20 seconds. “What are you talking about?” Noah floated forward, getting closer to the Thermos and it's occupant. “You insist on keeping that ridiculous Thermos when you could have destroyed him ages ago… He's your  responsibility!” 10 seconds.

 

“He's important to the timeline, I need him intact.” Clockwork said. His eyes roamed over to the screen containing the path he'd chosen. It was focused on a young girl, around fourteen but distressingly underweight, running through a crowded street. 8 seconds. The crowd began to disperse, screaming in fear. A metallic Ghost was chasing the girl, firing in a seemingly random pattern to control her path. The girl was making small shields to avoid letting the blasts hit civilians. It was draining her energy. Perfect.

 

The Observent screamed wordlessly in frustration. It was mildly entertaining to see the ghost struggle for control of the situation. Time was a chaotic thing.  “What importance do any of those freaks have? They only defy the natural order and cause chaos! He's the worst of all of them.”

 

5 seconds. “Somethings are just part of the natural order, Chaos being one of them.” 3. 

A cracking sound filled the lair and Gregory flinched away from the escaping ghost. Ducking behind Clockwork, the ocular ghost did what he did best. Cowered. A gloved claw ripped his way through the metal. 2. The snarling creature peeled the metal away, revealing a muscular man around twenty years old. 1. Dan Phantom emerged like a Phoenix from his prison, his eyes focused on his jailer. He always did have a flair for the dramatic, he probably got it from Plasmius. 

 

“Die.”  0. Dan lunged at the master of time.

 

He'd been free for exactly 10 minutes and he was trapped with the most adorable annoyance to ever float through the Zone.

 

_ The time ghost wasted no time in grabbing the Paradox and smashing him into one of the massive metal gears. Powerful shocks ripped through Dan as Clockwork’s staff made contact with his skull. His body felt heavier, most likely from his time trapped in the Thermos for so long.  _

 

_ “It’s a shame that it has come to this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.” Clockwork drove the end of his staff through Dan, drawing ectoplasm. The time ghost spun, flinging his captive through the screen and towards the hunter… _

 

Baby Blue eyes blinked at him, framed by messy black hair and freckles. She was floating a few feet away, probably some kid who was still getting used to being dead. They still looked human and didn’t even show their aura. The Annoyance was grinning like it was Christmas. Dan hated Christmas. It remind him of Hope and Joy and all those disgusting human emotions. 

 

“You just totally wasted Skulker! You didn't even have to lift a finger, that's so cool!” The Annoyance rambled. “Hey are you one of Vlad’s goons?” her question seemed like more of an afterthought. 

 

Dan rose to his feet, the strange weight causing him to stumble. The wound Clockwork had inflicted was dripping ectoplasm. Touching it sent shocks of pain through him. As a wave of cold washed over him he gripped a jagged part of the wrecked wall. Why was this happening? It felt like the days when he was still alive, still trapped in that inferior form. “Buzz off kid.”

 

The Annoyance gasped. “Oh Man, that looks pretty bad.” He hadn’t noticed. “Here let me help.” Her hands glowed a deep green color. Dan blocked her out of reflex. Years of fighting other ghosts meant fast reflexes but the girl was faster, phasing past this hand and touching the wound with confidence. It stung a bit but Dan dropped his arms.

 

Her eyes focused and The green glow spread over his body, refreshing him. He released a breath. Breath? He was a ghost he didn’t need to breathe. His body seemed to disagree.

 

“There you are, good as new! Healing usually takes a lot out of me but that was probably gonna get an infection before it healed. So it was worth it.” The Annoyance gave him a weak smile. Dan realized the girl wasn't threatened in the slightest and she was more powerful than he gave her credit for. Perhaps he could use her later. “The cafe down the street probably cleared out, wanna steal few pastries for lunch?”

 

“What are you doing? I could kill you you right now. There's nothing stopping me.” 

 

She waved him off. “Pfft, people try to kill me all the time. Danny says most Ghosts just need a friend.”

 

Dan used every bit of self control he had to keep from gagging at the sheer amount of corniness of his past self’s naivete. “Danny… Phantom?”

 

“Yeah! He…” She paused. “Uhh… we should get out of here before the Guy's in White show up.” white rings formed around her waist, traveling across her body. Before his eyes, she changed into a female version of his younger self. “My name’s Dani by the way, Dani Phantom.”

  
  


Vlad Masters stormed through his mansion, his staff clearing out of the way of his approach. The billionaire’s hands were clasped behind his back, faintly glowing with an otherworldly light. No one dared approach him in fear of losing their job. Only foolish men interrupted Vlad Masters while he was in one of his ‘moods’. No one that foolish had worked there for a long time.

 

His secretary hid herself behind her computer monitor as he stormed past. When the door to his office slammed shut, she fliched, quickly returning to her work. It was going to be a long day.

 

The office phone rang and she notified Mr. Masters of the caller. “They say they have information about one of your ‘personal projects’” She had no idea what that meant but it seemed to improve Masters’ mood slightly.

 

“I’ve been expecting it.” He took the call. ”Masters speaking.” The billionaire’s office went silent. “THAT LITTLE WRETCH!” A VERY long day.


	2. In Which Danny Disses Vlad

Dani frowned at the door. It was locked. "Aw nuts."

"What's wrong?" Dani jumped, her new ally was almost as sneaky as she was. He was huge so it counted even more. The Older Halfa raised an eyebrow. "Do they have a Ghost Shield?" He seemed a bit wary of the idea of a Ghost Shield, he probably didn't realize that in his human form it wouldn't work.

She shook her head, transforming back to her human self. "No the door's locked. They must've closed up before the ghost attack." Skulker must be working on Plasmius' orders, he's never intentionally come after me before. That means I have to move... again.

The Halfa rolled his eyes. "Just…" He raised a foot and kicked down the door. Dani squeaked, not expecting the sudden crash. "Let yourself in." The man stepped into the cafe purposefully.

Dani shrugged, free food was free food. She followed the man into the Cafe. Eyeing the selection of foods she decided breaking in was fine. Besides, they could just say Skulker did it. She wouldn't be sticking around much longer and she needed the fuel to make it to Amity Park. Danny always said to visit anytime and she had to stock up on Ecto-Dejecto… How was Danny anyway?

 

"...Pro Ghost Activist, Daniel 'Danny' Fenton, has announced his campaign for mayor. He's here with us now to address some of the confusion around this up-and-coming politician." The half ghost sat up a little straighter under the camera's scrutiny. He wasn't used to all the attention. Val usually handled it. Danny attempted to flash a smile, and it came out lopsided.

The Reporter, Tiffany Snow, beamed into the camera. She was obviously at ease "Daniel was one of the first to protest Mayor Masters' Anti-Ghost policies at the age of fifteen and has continued his activism despite widespread ridicule. Many people claim his association with ghosts is due to his parents, Jacob and Madeline Fenton the Owners of Fenton Works, and their intense devotion to their research." Tiffany beamed into the camera. Danny felt a slight sting at the mention of his parents. The woman turned her attention back to Danny. "Would you say that your interest in the Paranormal was sparked by your parents, Mr. Fenton?"

"Please call me Danny." Which I've asked of you six times. "While my interest does stem from them, I never really agreed with my parents views on Ghosts. They always seemed so violent and prejudiced. They'd never met or spoke to a ghost in their lives but they insisted that they were evil. The Ghosts I've met act almost human, so the idea that they're evil seems a bit wrong."

"Have you ever met a ghost, Mr. Fenton?" Danny frowned at the name.

Val and Jazz flinched. They hadn't thought to prepare him for that question. Danny forced on a smile. "Of course, they used to come through my parents portal all the time. I even met Phantom. He saved my life." Val sighed with relief.

"Careful there, Ghost Boy." She muttered, She spoke so softly that Danny could only hear her with his advanced hearing. Not even Jazz seemed to pick up on it. "We can't let our dear friends think you're a Narcissist." The Halfa felt his lips twitch in amusement.

"Is that what led to your family's… falling out?" Of course she brought that up.

His muscles tensed imperceptibly. Only his sister and Val noticed the shift. They could tell that now that the topic was brought up, the halfa would be distracted. Danny took a deep breath to relax himself. Years of practice had made him pretty good at hiding his emotions. "If that's what you call attempting a vivisection of your son, then yes. My beliefs on ghosts were what caused my parents to believe that I was being overshadowed."

Tiffany nodded, her look apologetic. "That must have been a very trying time for you." The Reporter turned back to the Camera, ignoring Danny again. "For those of you who don't remember, The Fenton's were arrested two years ago for assault, Child Abuse, Kidnapping and Child Endangerment. Since then, Daniel has been in the care of his older sister Jasmine Fenton, the nation's leading expert in ParaPsychology. What does your sister have to say about your newfound Political career?"

His focus returned to the interview. "Jazz has been really supportive, I couldn't ask for a better sister. Without her support I would never have gotten this far."

"Is it true that Mayor Masters is an old friend of your family? If so, Why are you running against him?"

The Halfa grinned, flashing his trademark lopsided smile that Val said 'the Voters loved'. Tiffany seemed to shift slightly. "Well to be perfectly honest, the guy is old news. He's over fifty and has some pretty old fashioned ways of thinking. I mean, this is 201x. It's time to start moving forward. Ghosts are just like humans, if we judge them all by the bad ones we'll be much worse than them. It's a racist way of thinking and it's time we move past it."

"Some people claim your youth means that you lack the skill to properly run this city, what do you have to say about these claims?"

"I actually can't say much. Most of my experience with politics is getting Phantom to make public appearances and convincing Ghosts that I won't fight them. Being friends with Phantom makes many a bit wary." Danny crossed his legs, starting to get a bit uncomfortable. "But I can say that I probably have more experience than my Opponent, He's a Businessman not a Politician."

Val frowned. "Cut back on the jabs, He's gonna waste you for this already without all the shade."

"... I'm not saying he isn't good at what he does, he's a great Businessman. But you can't run a city like a company." Danny noted that the Huntress was humming in a approval and continued. "Cities shouldn't have dress codes or bans on tech in schools."

"Well, thank you Danny." The Hero hummed his approval. "Thank you for giving us this interview. I'm sure many of our viewers are anticipating their chance to put you in office. I know who I'll be voting for." The lights dimmed and Tiffany leaned towards Danny, her eyes were half-lidded and entranced with the half ghost. "You seeing anyone handsome?"

Revulsion welled up in Danny's gut. The reporter, although she'd aged gracefully, was old enough to be his mom. Val, amazing, beautiful Val, came to his rescue. "We need to finish up some paperwork Danny, Then there's a lunch meeting with Mayor Master's that needs to be rescheduled."

Danny rose from the couch, straightening his suit. By the Ancients he hated that suit. "It was nice meeting you Mrs. Snow, unfortunately I have places to be."

"Oh no, it was a pleasure to have you. It isn't very often you allow interviews, what with all your protesting and campaigning." Tiffany's wide grin grew even larger. "We hope you'll consider doing another soon."

"I'll try to find time in my schedule." Val gestured for him to follow. "With the recent ghost sightings there's been more Anti-Ghost propaganda that I have to disprove."

The Reporter remained persistent, attempting to follow Danny and Val off the set. "I think Fenton has a new fan." Jazz giggled at Val's tease. The young politician rolled his eyes at the pair. It was getting old to hear about his growth spurt and the effect he now had on women. Val, of course, decided to keep track of the fans for Fenton and Phantom. She even had a scoreboard.

"Haha, I should've known that's what you meant. 'Voters love it' my foot." Danny felt a rush of cold escape his lips. Casually he looked to Val. "If our dear friends think I was a Narcissist than you'd think one of them would say something." Val's watch beeped, signalling the Ghost that Danny sensed had gotten closer.

"It seems one of our 'dear friends' is here now." Val grabbed Danny, shoving him into a janitor's closet. He transformed and stepped out of the closet invisible. "Class 6.5. Probably Plasmius. I told you to ease up on the sass."

"Even so, I'm a Class 8. Why do you doubt me so much Val? I've Kicked his butt before." Danny flew up through the ceiling, missing her reply. He floated over the News Station, watching the city. It was a nice day, the sun was out and not cloud in sight. The city hadn't seen any ghost attacks in months but they still showed up from time to time. Mostly to negotiate with Danny about individual buildings to haunt in Amity.

He doubted that the eyeball wanted a Haunt. If he did Danny would have to decline on principal. "Who the heck are you?"

The Ghost made a huffing sound, the halfa had no idea how. "I am the Imperial Master of Communication and Commerce. I've come here to bring you before the Observant Council."

Danny blinked. "Do you have something shorter I can call you or..?"

The Observant grabbed the halfa by his t-shirt, bringing him close to his face… er, eye. "Your Alternate future self escaped and is currently free to wreak havoc on the human realm simply because Clockwork 'accidentally' through him through a time mirror into a crowded city street. Names are not important!"

 

Dan ran a hand through his hair. His body was exhausted and his powers completely drained. Laying low while he recovered would make him lose the element of surprise on his younger self but it would be worth it. Whatever Clockwork's attack had been it was enough that the Halfa girl thought he was a normal ghost. It also left him feeling... weird.

The Girl was still munching on a pile of desserts. She smiled and offered him some. It was… refreshing to have someone to talk to that wasn't completely terrified of him immediately. Quietly, he accepted the pastry, not used to being offered human food. Dan was having a hard time figuring Dani out, Was she his alternate self's daughter? Younger sister? Fan girl?

He scratched off the last one. A Fangirl wouldn't look nearly identical to his Human self. Nor would they be a halfa. That also ruled out younger sister, since it was unlikely that his 'parents' would make the same mistake a third time. No. the girl was most definitely his other self's daughter. Probably with the Goth one.

"So where are you headed, muscle man?"

"Amity Park. I have… Unfinished business." He bit into a coffee cake, suddenly remembering how delicious food could be.

"ME TOO!" The girl jumped up, beaming. "We should travel together. That way Plasmius will think twice before messing with us." She struck a confident pose, fully believing that Dan was stong enough to face whatever powerful beings Plasmius had at his disposal. "What's your name?"

"Da-Dorian." He lied. The girl probably knew stories about him from his other self. If so, he wanted to hold onto the trust the girl showed, at least until he got to Amity Park. The girl was at an unknown power level and showed a lot of potential to be very dangerous, if still incredibly moral. He could use her.

Dani hummed. "So what's your story?"

"You first."

She shrugged. "I'm Phantom's clone. Plasmius wanted a son so he considered me a failure. I rebelled and now I'm on the run. Now you."

Dan blinked. A clone? A female clone? That didn't seem possible. At all. Someone was keeping a secret. "I lost my family in an explosion. I've been alone ever since."

"Was that the explosion that turned you into a halfa?"

The gears in his brain ground to a halt. "What?" He must have misheard. Ghost had much more acute hearing but there was a chance he didn't quite hear her right.

"You know. Half-Ghost, Half-Human, All awesome. Except Plasmius, he's just a total nutjob and should not be taken into…" She blinked at him, concern washing over her features. "Hey, are you okay?"

Half… Human? She thinks i'm human? Why? I haven't even attempted to disguise myself yet. She would've sensed me anyway. Unless... He stood, the chair he sat on clattering to the ground. "I-" He raised his hands in front of his face. The hands before him were tan and scarred. Strong fingers with strong callouses that didn't match the pale blue he's grown used to over the years. His fingernails were blunt, not clawed like they should've been.

The 'ghost' patted his chest, the smooth material of his jumpsuit was replaced by ragged cloth that he later found were similar to the Fenton Works tee he'd been fond of in life. Racing to the bathroom, he stared into the mirror. The face that greeted him was not his own. It was too large with high cheekbones. Steel colored hair hung over his eyes. His eyes were smaller a dark blue color, not the blood red he was used to.

He had a human form. And actual flesh and blood body. Dan was no longer a full-ghost, he'd been granted the status of Halfa. "CLOCKWORK, YOU LITTLE…"

 

"Butter biscuits!" The Billionaire Halfa glared at the news. Daniel's supporters were growing in number by the minute. With their constant support the little bit of influence he had of the younger Halfa began to to wane. Too many people were wearing the pins that Danny's tech genius friend designed to avoid Overshadowing. Jasmine was backing him by explaining the Psychology of ghosts and how Daniels plans to integrate ghosts would benefit the economy.

Phantom was now the poster boy for Ghost Rights.

The Red Huntress even supported the younger Halfa, completely aware of the other's identity. At this rate He might as well resign and leave Daniel to do as he would.

"In other new…" a ecto blast destroyed the television. Plasmius had had enough of their blathering.

"Fright Knight!" The Ghost phased up through the floor. "I want you to bring me that pest Danielle, if I want to beat Daniel then I need leverage. He cares about her but she isn't under his protection in Amity. Find her, and bring her here alive."

"It will be done, My Liege." The Fright Knight summoned his steed and rode intangibly out of the building.

Masters sank into his seat, rubbing his forehead. "I need a vacation."


	3. Chapter 3

The newly christened Half Ghost tried to calm himself with deep breaths. That was the simplest way he knew to control his new body. He could barely control his rising temper.

 

Human. The one thing he hated more than anything else. He'd always sought to eliminate every trace of humanity left in him. A being as powerful as him couldn’t be weighed down with humanity. Everyone who sought to destroy him would most definitely try to use that bit of weakness to prevail. But here he was. Human and weak.

 

He felt a migraine making itself known. Another human weakness. He sank to the floor clutching his head, snarling at the sensation.

 

“Hey,” Dani spoke from outside the bathroom. Her voice was slightly muffled by the door between them. “Are you okay?”

 

Dan pinched his nose. What was he doing? He was Phantom! The most powerful and feared ghost in the zone. Cities crumbled before him, the Red Huntress could hardly hold a candle to his might. He would not be cowed by a mere human body. The Halfa stood suddenly, knocking his head against the underside of the sink. Expletives spewed from his lips.

 

A human form would take some getting used to.

 

* * *

 

_ Power rolled off the enraged Halfa’s in waves. Buildings crumbled under blows that hardly fazed the powerful creatures. Neither being let up their attack, even as others perished from their battle. The younger of the two had morphed from the kindhearted hero into a vengeful demon. The elder had crossed a line, an unspoken boundary that the two lived by. And now he faced the wrath of a grieving father. _

 

“Time out.” The time bubble froze at its master’s command. “As you can see, this was the future where I prevented Dark Phantom's escape. In it, Daniel and Vladimir reached the breaking point and the ensuing violence led to the destruction of Amity Park and half the continent. Danielle was too unstable and couldn't last against the ghosts that Vladimir continued to send after her. Daniel, in his grief, declared a Blood Feud against him. This was the result.” Clockwork scowled at the scrapped timeline. He didn't need to give the Observants more of a reason to distrust his charge. But he needed to plead his case.

 

“Even so, the damage that Phantom will do will be tenfold. His powers have had 4 years to build up and he will most likely go on a rampage the moment he realizes what you did to him. As a Halfa his powers will continue to grow instead of stopping. He is far too much of a threat to be allowed to exist.” The Head Observant spoke.

 

Clockwork sighed. “I saw a future where all of the Halfa’s were content and unified as a family. No war between them troubled the Human or Ghost Realms. It was peaceful.”

 

“The halfa’s cannot be allowed to join together as one force.” An observant declared. “They will become too powerful to be contained. They will turn on us...”

 

“They might be useful against future threats…”

 

“Those abominations don’t deserve to exist in peace!”

 

The master of time watched as the Observants dissolved into petty bickering. Half of them argued against the future He’d set in motion while the other half vehemently opposed allowing them to reseal Phantom. A smile quirked at his lips, that would be enough to keep them from interfering too soon.

 

Daniel would be enraged at the prospect of his darker Future’s escape. Once he arrived that was. Jeremy was taking quite a bit of time arriving with the Halfa. Clockwork worried for his charge. He couldn’t observe his reaction without the Observants stripping what little of his powers he still had access to. Ancients knew how the boy was reacting to the news.

 

* * *

 

“Danny, are you going to just keep ignoring the angry eyeball or are you going to explain what he’s doing here to the rest of us?” Sam managed to say over the ranting Observant.

 

The aforementioned halfa sighed and set down his milkshake. “I just want to finish lunch, is that too much to ask? Evil Me can wait until I’m done having a Nasty Burger.”

 

Sam, Tucker, and Val stared at the Observant who continued to rave in ghostspeak. The inhabitants of the Nasty Burger cast a few worried glances at the creature that hovered behind the Ghost Activist. Most brushed it off as a persistent ghost seeking a haunt in Amity, most likely one that he’d been denied. Others were attempting to call for Ghost hunters to come and remove the nuisance. 

 

Val finally decided to speak. “I’m still in the dark, what was this about an Evil Danny?”

 

“In my defense, I had almost no control over that timeline.” Danny popped a Nasty Fry into his mouth.

 

Tucker raised an eyebrow, “Dude, If you didn’t cheat on the CATS that future wouldn’t have even been a possibility.”

 

“Maybe if Lancer hadn’t been near the Nasty Burger when I fought Box Lunch I wouldn’t have gotten the answers.” The halfa shot back. The Observant had finally ceased his ranting and was now hovering with crossed arms near Danny. 

 

Val rubbed her forehead, reaching for her Smartphone. “This is going to be PR nightmare for Phantom.” The Huntress glared at her friend. “How does cheating on a test lead to you turning evil? That seems a bit of a stretch.”

 

“See? Thank you!” Danny slumped back in the booth. “I mess up once and suddenly these eyeballs are trying to kill me. How was I supposed to know cheating ended up destroying everything?”

 

The Huntress’s eyes widened in surprise. “How evil are we talking?”

 

Sam finally chimed back into the conversation. “He makes Pariah Dark look like a Boy Scout.”

 

Rage flashed through Valerie's eyes, causing Danny to flinch away from her. The halfa knew he’d be getting an earful from the huntress the minute they were out of public observation. “Okay before you get mad, I never turned into him. Plus, I kicked his butt into a Fe- a Thermus before he did any of that to this Timeline.”

 

“I’m going with you to see these ‘Observants’” Val crossed her arms.

 

“Absolutely not! We have allowed you to fumble around the Human Realm without interfering with you silly little kingdom for far too long, we won’t allow you to bring human pets into the Observant Council…”

 

“Excuse me?” Sam and Val snapped in unison, making every male in the establishment cringe. Val was the one to continue. “Phantom has stated time and again that the people of Amity Park are his Wards, not pets or annoyances. We are our own beings, he simply watches over us and protects us. He allows you here to do your business as long as his wards do not come to harm. We are most certainly allowed to see the Ghost Zone under his Supervision if you guys can come here. It’s only fair to allow both races to visit the others Realm.”

 

“The Ghost Realm is where we draw the line. Ghosts and Humans are not meant to live together! It’s a crime against nature!”

 

“Get out.” The low sound of Danny’s voice was enough to silence the Observant. Anyone who sat in the general vicinity of the Activist noticed the sudden drop in temperature. The lights in the restaurant flickered dangerously. “Get out of here and don’t come back.”

 

“You…”

 

“I will tell Phantom of your visit, rest assured that he will not be happy hearing what you had to say.” The Halfa’s eyes began to glow faintly. “Now leave, Benjamin.”

 

The Observant huffed before vanishing. The lights in the establishment took a while to return to their steady glow. However the temperature didn’t quite return to normal until Danny stormed out of the building, his friends close behind.

 

“Well,” Tucker muttered as they followed the politician through the streets. “That certainly went well.”

 

“The only reason I haven’t destroyed every single observant in existence is becaused they aren’t worth the effort.” Danny snarled. Val gripped his shoulder in attempt to soothe him. “An abomination but still better that them.” He growled.

 

“Forget it Danny. If they want to get rid of Dan then they’ll have to take care of it themselves.” Tucker snapped. The others muttered their agreement.

 

The Halfa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No, he’s my responsibility. Val, reschedule my appointments for the next few weeks.” Valerie nodded as she began typing into her phone, changing dates and ringing up supporters. Danny looked to the other two. “I need to find where Dan is. There’s a big chance some hotshot will try to take over while I’m gone. Can you guys handle things until I get back?”

 

Sam gave him a small smile. “Sure thing, just come back in one piece.”

 

Danny offered her a halfhearted smile. “Hey, I’ve got way more Ghost Powers since the last time I fought him. I’ll kick his butt no prob.”

  
“We’re still talking about this once you get back.” The Huntress mumbled, patiently waiting for a supporter to pick up the phone.


	4. Chapter 4

Dani watched the other Halfa curiously. He had rushed into the bathroom suddenly and had been panicking but now he looked… determined. The sudden shift in demeanor was strange. She’d been expecting him to already know about being a halfa. Unless… he thought he was a full ghost.

 

Dorian acted strangely, not just suddenly recovering from shock. Sometimes his face would scrunch up in disgust at normal human actions. Like going to the bathroom, or eating. It was cool how much you notice about a person when you have to reteach them how to walk(People notice when you float everywhere, and it takes less energy to walk) because they spent ten years floating everywhere. He acted more ghost than human, phasing through walls instead of using a door, complaining about spending so much time in a human form, forgetting food was important to life. They’d been travelling for two days and he still couldn’t transform into his ghost half without passing out.

 

She didn’t mind his weirdness. It was fun when he randomly decided to float around and knocked his head against the ceiling by accident.

 

“When will we get to Amity Park?” He growled out. Dani found he was normally growling, it was his default state of grumpy.

 

“Well we could jump a train and get there about 3 more days but I don’t know which trains are headed that way. At the rate we’re going we’ll be there in a week.” The groan of pure misery was expected. Dani spun around, just in time to see his ghost sense go off. She snorted back a laugh. She didn’t even notice when her own pale green steam of mist escaped her lips.

 

“What?” Dorian frowned. He picked up the younger halfa and tucked her under one arm. The girl went limp in his grip, giggling over the twin red streams of Mist that had escaped through Dorian’s nose. “There’s a ghost nearby, we have to be careful.”

 

“Mustache…” She giggled. Dorian rolled his eyes at the younger. Dani didn’t complain about her situation. It was fun to be carried. “We could try hitchhiking.”

 

The older scoffed. “Forget it.”

 

“I could just call Danny and he’d come get us in the Spector Speeder.”

 

“That is not even remotely an option.” He frowned. “He and I are not on good terms.”

 

“Are you going to Amity Park to beat him up?” Dani wasn’t worried, Dorian was tough but he still couldn’t even transform, he wouldn’t last ten seconds against Danny. Her cousin was the talk of the Ghost Zone, last she heard most ghosts were making alliances to protect themselves from him. No one went to Amity Park without his express permission.

 

“Of course not, that would be a waste of time. I need to use the Portal to return to the Ghost Zone.”

 

Dani pouted. “Oh. It would’ve been pretty cool if you were.”

 

Dorian smirked, a new expression beyond angry. “Why, you think I could win?”

 

“Pfft, no.” Dani cupped her head in her hands. She could easily picture Danny curbstomping Dorian. He’d gotten pretty strong in the last 3 years. “Danny would kick your butt. I just wanted to see what kind of powers you had.”

 

“You could just ask.” Dorian was actually smiling. The girl was very similar to Danny, tiny yet obvious quirks were all that one could use to tell them apart. Their Genders where the largest difference between the two that assured him that they were not carbon copies.

 

Of course Dani was a bit more prone to morally questionable actions but only slightly. “Okay then, what kind of powers do you have?”

 

“Well telekinesis for one. I can make portals but that takes a lot of energy.” Dani shut her mouth at that assurance. She briefly wondered if she could learn how to do that, once Danny stabilized her permanently. “There’s also the standard ghost powers but you already know that. Let’s see, I can make fireballs and frost. Those are harder and they aren’t very powerful.”

 

“Danny has Ice Powers!” She chimed. A thoughtful look crossed the elder’s face. “He’s really good at them too! He trained under this ghost named Frostbite who’s really nice and gives me hot chocolate every time I visit!”

 

Amusement flickered through Dorian’s face. “Does he now?”

 

“Uh huh, He teaches me lots of stuff about Ghosts and the Zone. I could rival Vlad…” She froze. Dorian seemed to notice her discomfort and frowned.

 

“Why do you avoid talking about Plasmius?”

 

Dani wrung her hands together. Her ghost sense went off again. This time she noticed it. “Well… it’s a bit of a long story.”

 

The clatter of hooves interrupted their conversation. Dan turned in time for him to see the Fright Knight approaching. He raised a hand to fire an ecto blast but it fizzled out in his hands.

 

Dani turned intangible, phasing through Dorian’s grip. She transformed into her Ghost Half and powered both hands with ecto blasts. The young Phantom charged with reckless fury. Her mind zeroed in on a single fact, Dorian was weak and needed to be protected.

 

The Fright Knight raised his Soul Shredder. As it came down, Dani created a shield to block the attack. She turned to see the elder’s shocked expression. “Run!” The Shield dissolved and the real battle began.

* * *

Dan never expected all these human side-effects. His power was slow to return but when it did it came in bursts. It reminded him of when he’d first gotten his powers, aimless fumbling to keep them from backfiring. Not to mention the random intangibility spells. Dani had to pull him up from the ground far too often for his liking.

 

What bothered him most was the emotions.

 

As a ghost his emotions were muffled, not as irritating as they had been when he’d been alive. Now they were sharp and painful. It was like the day he’d lost… everyone. Every action that occurred sent his heart through a tempest of emotion. Dani’s kindness was the most frequent offender. She just cared too much. The younger Phantom gave him parts of the meager amount of food she stole, tried cheering him up with silly games. It wasn’t long before he found himself thinking of her more as Jazz then as Danny. Though she did have her moments.

 

And now she was risking her life for him.

 

“Run!” The girl shouted as she flew up, firing beams at the Knight. Dan was stunned at her bravery. It’d been a long time since he’d acted like that.

 

_Coward._

 

Dan turned and ran. He wasn’t strong enough to fight the Fright Knight. _Neither is Dani._ **_Shut up._** The Halfa dove behind a tree. Ecto Blasts were being tossed left and right. The road the duo had been walking alone was turned to rubble within minutes of the battles commencement.

 

Dani dodged expertly, twisting her too thin body to escape the blade. The Knight and Dani were taking the battle to the air, a dangerous dance of death. They flew in close and attacked before pulling away and preparing to clash again. Dan felt the longing of his ghost Half to soar up and join the fight. But he held back.

 

_Why? Dani has no hope to defeat him, at least together you have a chance._ A young and sarcastic sounding voice pointed out. Dan swore it was familiar. He wasn’t sure how.

 

**_Because… I’m not a hero. I never was, I managed to fool myself before with delusions of super heroes. I’m a coward and don’t deserve to have this power._** He gripped a branch of the tree to keep himself from stumbling. The terrain wasn’t as even as it was near the road.

 

_What’s stopping you from being one now?_ The voice asked.

 

_**Dani’s the hero here. Let her save the day.** _

 

_A coward dies a thousand times before his death. Mr. Lancer said that before, remember?_

 

“... But the valiant taste death but once.” Dan muttered. He remembered that quote. The portly teacher had a poster hanging in the room that had the phrase in a flowery font. It was the most interesting part of the classroom.

 

A shrill scream startled him out of his memories. The Fright Knight had hit Dani with a powerful blast from his sword, nearly knocking her out of the sky. The young Phantom looked exhausted, barely managing to keep herself in the air. Gone was the bravado, her expression was one of determination to survive.

 

_Now, will you please grow a pair and help the only person that still cares?_

 

Dan growled under his breath. Power surged through his human body, it was different from his original transformations. They had been soothing and cold. This one was frigid but whipped about his body. It was wild and violent. It suited him more than the forced cold ones he’d attempted before. This one was natural. “What do you think?”

 

_Wise choice._

* * *

This is the stupidest idea I’ve ever had. Dani blocked another blow from the knight’s sword, the force of the blow cracking her ectoplasmic shield. “Watch it you flaming tin can! I thought Plasmius wanted me alive so he can finish his sick experiments.”

 

“My Soul Shredder will not harm you, Phantom Maiden. It will simply send you to the realm of your darkest fears.” He blasted her before retreating. The constant clashing and retreats where exhausting her more than the energy she was using up.

 

Dani rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, that sounds way better.” She prepared another ectoblast, being sure to hold onto enough energy to hold her form.

 

A sudden gust of wind knocked Fright Knight off his horse. The ghost fell to the ground, using his sword to raise to his feet. He searched the sky for any sign of bad weather. The sky was too clear for it to be a storm. Dani held back her attack and scanned the skies for her ally. All that she saw was a flash of white fire and a fluttering white and black cape. “Hey Hothead, careful with the Core Powers.”

 

They turned their head to look at her. His eyes were blood red, sharp fangs peeking out from pale blue lips. “If I wanted to knock you out of the sky I would have.”

 

“Dorian?” Dani reabsorbed the ectoblast. How had he managed to transform so quickly? Weren’t his powers still on the fritz?

 

The elder tossed an ecto disk at the Knight, knocking the ghost back from his sword. “Get out of here, I can take him.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “As if, This guy has to learn not to mess with a Phantom.” She reached for her core, summoning enough power to teleport next to the Fright Knight. She phased through the ground and flew up suddenly, uppercutting off the ghost’s helmet. He stumbled back from the force of the blow. Dorian swooped down, tackling Fright Knight. He pinned his opponent to the ground.

 

“Lord Plasmius will hear about this! The false Phantom is his to do with as he will, no other ghost may assist her against him!” The Fright Knight snarled.

 

Dorian rolled his eyes. “Tell Plasmius that Dani Phantom is under my protection, if he wants her he’ll have to come and get her himself.”

 

“I see, and who so blatantly defies his will?”

 

The older halfa stopped to think for a moment. “I am Dorian Wraith, And I look forward to meeting him.”

* * *

Danny cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowed on his target. He’d been searching for days with no sign of the Paradox. It was getting to the point where he thought it was time for him to ask the Observants for assistance. But then he’d heard from Johnny who heard from Bertrand who heard from Spectra who heard from Ember that Skulker had been beaten by a large muscular ghost who’d appeared out of nowhere and interrupted his hunt.

 

The Halfa had never been happier for hearsay.

 

After several hours of avoiding Kempler and promising Ember that he’d consider possibly asking Val to set up a gig in Amity for her, he’d managed to get a talk with the Hunter Ghost.

 

Skulker had given up trying to capture Danny once the Halfa hit a class 7.8. Danny offered to let the Hunter collect weaker pest ghosts in Amity but the property damage got to be too much and they went their separate ways. That didn’t stop Skulker from taking up commissions from time to time. From either Vlad or Danny, neither halfa held it against him.

 

“Let me Explain, Phantom.”

 

“We had an agreement.”

 

“No harm came to the whelp, I was just taking her to Plasmius…”

 

Danny’s fist crashed against the coffee table sitting between them. Ember looked in, worried for her husband. The Hunter Ghost was cringing at the power that rolled from the halfa. Neon green eyes dimmed as the boy leaned back on the couch, trying to calm himself. “I have had a very stressful week. First, it’s been one full year since my parents tried to kill me, I’ve been told that my evil self was released into the world to wreak havoc, Vlad is slandering my name, and now..,” The Halfa sighed. “You won’t take any more jobs related to Dani in the Future, clear?”

 

“Crystal.” His voice escaped as a weak rasp.

  
“Good, now, where were you hunting Dani?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I went looking for the meaning behind Dorian cause I was curious, Originally I just used that because it was the first D name to pop into my head. Apparently it has several variations that mean ‘Stranger’ or ‘Dangerous Weather’. I’m quite content with that coincidence. 
> 
> I picked Wraith because it’s a synonym to ghost with a more negative connotation than Phantom. Phantom at it’s worst has a pretty neutral feel. What do you guys think? 
> 
> Dan’s thoughts are in Bold Italics, the voice and other people’s thoughts are in Italics

Light stung his eyes as they slowly crept open. He decided that the sun just made his hit list. Pale blue eyes met his own and the Half Ghost scowled. “Give me one good reason to not destroy you right now.”

 

“I have food.” Dani held up a grocery bag full of goodies. 

 

Dan heard his stomach growl in response.  **_Curse this human body._ ** He sat up, hearing bedsprings creak under him from the movement. “Where are we?” The question was more for himself than for the younger halfa. Not that she heard him. She was across the room looking for the TV remote. He raised his hand to shield the light streaming through the windows. Once he managed to get his bearings, he surveyed the room. 

 

“Think fast, Hothead!” A plastic bottle flew across the room, almost hitting him in the head.

 

While his reflexes weren’t as fast as they were in his Ghost Form, he still managed to catch the bottle before it put him back to sleep. He examined the label. “A Protein Shake?”

 

“Yep, I ‘borrowed’ someone's credit card to rent the room and get some groceries. Not much, just enough for you to get your strength back.” Dani popped a snack into her mouth, staying on a channel promising to show a popular children's cartoon. She offered him a smile. “So where'd you learn how to do that?”

 

“Do what?” He eyed the label of the bottle, scowling at the bright and cheerful colors. “Did you get the girl version?”

 

The girl laughed “What? Are you worried about ruining your big bad muscle head reputation?” She stood, flexing her arms and pouting. Her voice shifted to match his own, at least an exaggerated version of his voice. “I'm Dorian Wraith, I sucker punched Fright Knight into the Ghost Zone. Fear my swolness.”

 

_ Oh please that's completely inaccurate, you're more dramatic and over the top. _ The voice chimed in. Dan had hoped they would go away after the fight.  _ Of course I won't leave you alone, you've ignored me for almost thirteen years.  _

 

**_What are you supposed to be, my consience?_ ** “I don't talk like that.” He growled.

 

_ I will have you know, I make and excellent voice of reason. The Mimicry was spot on, I'd give her a seven out of ten. _

 

“Come on, it's just a protein shake. Are you so concerned about your masculinity that you can’t drink it cause it's marketed at woman?” Dani placed both hands on her hips, adopting a very familiar pose.

 

_ The Goth One has Corrupted her.  _

 

Dan sighed. There wasn’t much he could do to argue with her. She was just as stubborn as he was. Cracking open the bottle, he noticed her demeanor shift to one that was more content. Her approval urged him to actually drink the beverage instead of simply tossing it. It wasn’t that bad. Not that he’d ever admit to thinking that. He crushed the empty bottle and tossed it into the trashcan. 

 

The younger seemed to take this as her cue to toss a sandwich at his head. Again he managed to catch the flying food before to smacked him in the face. “Is that really necessary?”

 

Dani Giggled. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

 

“What, you mean the wind thing?” Black hair bobbed up and down in response. Dan leaned back on the bed, unwrapping the sandwich. “It’s pretty new, I never had Core Powers before. Just Pyrokinesis.”

 

Dani frowned at that. It was strange seeing the normally optimistic girl so down. She pulled off her beanie and returned her attention to the show on the television before her. “My Core hasn’t developed yet, Danny says I’ll probably have an Ice Core but… Frostbite said that I had a warm Core. If I do then the only one who can train me will be…  _ him. _ ”

 

The older Halfa watched Dani curiously. A clone wouldn’t have a different Core Type. Another point towards her being his younger self's daughter. Her aversion to Vlad was understandable. It wasn’t so far fetched that his younger self to shun Plasmius to avoid having his Ghost Half ripped out. “Why is Plasmius after you?”

 

“He needs me,” Her nose crinkled in disgust. “I’m the first Clone that can actually think. I’m unstable, so he plans to melt me down and study the remains.”

 

Dan choked on his sandwich.  **_Melt? Remains? What has Plasmius been doing in this timeline?_ **

 

_ Seems a bit excessive.  _

 

Dani didn’t seem fazed by the idea of being melted down. She seemed almost at peace with the idea. To her, it was a fact. If she were caught, she would die. Dan felt disgust, followed by a wave of guilt. No one else inspired any sympathy from him in years. Humans were mere insects to him. But now, it all came crashing down.  _ Oh so now you decide to listen. One girl somehow gets on your good side and suddenly you’re ready to fess up to all your sins.  _

 

**_I already knew I’m a terrible person. I never denied that._ ** Dan shot back at the voice. 

 

_ You just didn’t let them weigh you down, right? _

 

* * *

 

She stood on her hoverboard high above the city and the flashing cameras of the press. The Red Huntress was becoming increasingly popular after it was made public that both She and Phantom were now allies. If she was on patrol she prefered to avoid any paparazzi that wanted photos of the Huntress and her former Arch Nemesis.

 

“So let me get this straight,” Valerie glared at the image of Danny that displayed itself on her wrist watch. He looked sheepish. “An Evil full ghost version of you, not only exists, but is also free from his prison and seeking revenge. The minute he’s back to full power he’ll wreak havoc on the Populace and most likely kill thousands if not millions of people before you can recapture him. And… You want me to check up on Dani?”

 

“Skulker said he was attacked by some ghost matching His description while he was hunting her in Tulsa. He was knocked out and once he came to they were both gone. I was thinking that maybe you and your totally awesome ghost hunting equipment- that looks great on you by the way- would be able to pick up her ecto-signature and check up on her to make sure that no one hurt my baby.” Danny gave her a lopsided grin. Hid white hair floated around his head like a halo, further driving home the ‘pleading angel’ look.

 

Danny had learned to modify his Ghost form several years before. Despite this, he opted to keep his Ghost Form the same as when he’d first became a Halfa. Other than changing his Wardrobe to something more like what he deemed appropriate for his Phantom image. He now wore a black leather jacket, the infamous Phantom symbol stitched into the back. He wore a black t-shirt with a neon green ghost saying ‘boo’ decorating the front. The white boots stayed, mostly covered by the faded jeans he wore. Of course he now had a utility belt, holding most of his gear including the Thermos. His gloves had been replaced with white studded fingerless ones. The studs were ectoplasm green to give off the illusion that they were permanently stained from his countless ghost fights. While ghosts didn’t attack as often anymore, Danny kept up the look. Phantom didn’t look like the kind of person you wanted to meet in a dark alley, and not just because he was a ghost.

 

But that wasn’t the image he had in Amity Park. Over the years, Phantom appeared to sponsor countless events, appeared on television for interviews, and visited Children’s hospitals around the nation with other ghosts to give them a show. Phantom was a hero that acted like a punk. Fenton was the Ghost Activist that kept in contact with the ghost that saved his life. They were the same person with two faces. Sometimes you couldn’t tell which one was the real one.

 

The Huntress rolled her eyes. “Danny, as much as I’d love to see Dani, You always go into Overprotective Dad Mode the minute you see her. You’re gonna beg her to stay and then you won’t sleep for weeks worrying. It’s the same thing every time.”

 

“Well excuse me, if the first few times she visited she nearly died. I can’t help it if my obsession makes me worry about people close to me constantly.” The Halfa pouted. If Valerie didn’t know any better she’d think he were a completely benign ghost. A Class 8 Ghost shouldn’t be that cute. “Look, I’ve been working on the Overprotective thing. Jazz said I’m making great progress.”

 

“Your sister isn’t the best person to be going to for this. Last I checked, she does the exact same thing. I’m pretty sure you take shifts.” The blush that adorned Danny’s cheeks was enough to confirm her theory. “Oh my god, you guys do take shifts!”

 

The neon green blush darkened. “That’s not the point of this call. I’m begging you, please check on Dani.”

 

Valerie smirked at the Halfa. Some days it was hard to say no to him. “I’ll check up on the squirt. I’ll even bring her some more Ecto-Dejecto, she’ll probably need some if Plasmius has been chasing her again.”

 

Danny sighed with relief. “Thanks Val. You’re a lifesaver.”

 

“Part of the Job Description.” She winked at her friend. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

 

They both cut the call. Valerie went straight to her ghost files, a copy Danny gave from his own files. It held the Ecto signatures of most of the Ghosts Danny, Sam, and Tucker had encountered before she’d joined up with them. Over the years it expanded and everyone who had a copy had given them their own unique spin. Allies and Enemies were different for each of them, minor notes were made that weren’t shared with other team members.

 

Valerie had more Enemies that the others, including Danny. But Dani was at the Top of her Allies list, followed by Ember and Frostbite. Her file was also the bulkiest in her version of the files. Minor differences that piled up between her and Danny(the girl couldn’t stand Nasty Burger, Danny and Tucker had been heartbroken). Theories on how she survived on her own(none of them happy). And of course, the most common places Dani visited(most were in the states, but Dani sometimes traveled a bit further). While Valerie often bugged Danny about his over-protectiveness she still had to keep an eye on her Adopted niece.

 

* * *

 

Clockwork smiled at the unfolding timeline, everything was falling into place. Vlad’s aggravation at the incompetence of his employees would urge him to make a move. A rash and poorly thought out one. While that could lead to a bit more danger towards the citizens of Amity Park, it meant that Daniel would not have to waste time looking for a way to sabotage his plan. The Paradox, Dan, was beginning to crumble from the weight of his new-found emotions. 

 

Dani was destabilizing at an alarming rate. Her Core sensed the danger Dan posed and was leaking energy. Not that the Girl noticed. It was perfect to bring the pieces together.

 

_ Vladimir Masters fancies himself a King, let's see how he feels being played as a pawn. _ The smirk that crept across his ancient lips was terrifying to the guards that were posted around the Master of Time. Observants continued to bicker over the Fate of the Halfa’s. The time bubble in the center of the room shift to only few days later.

 

_ Dan and Daniel were shaking hands, a silent pact formed between the two of them. The Paradox loomed over his alternate self, the younger not even flinching at his stature. Grim Determination etched across their face. The Red Huntress laid wounded of to the side, watching them with a similar expression.  _

 

_ They were going to war. _


End file.
